New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-06
Il NET MUSICAL COMEDY.

Messrs. b. c. Stephenson and Alfred Cellier cs,, 49,.
dorothy" which brought forward in stvls ~.
challenges high praise At the Standard The.,r. ~.
night. " COMEDY opera" Why they do 80 We 40 ~.
know; but they have proved themselves tisvey .o.n.
to cntitle them to the presumption that Il WA bscar
they unwilling IT, contribute the confusoc =,
terms and ignoring Of exact definitions which for
years past have been associated with the produco :.
works belonging to the category which emh,,...
Dorothy" There seems to be antipathy on the ,,,.
OF English speaking people to the thorough lilly whos
and respectable title of operetta and 90 compo~.
managers and reviewers have cOnspred together to ,h
the French opera comique OF the dignity which
attaches TO It's just Ofenbach when he dsct.a
out his mOngrel invention despoicd the time -hopored
italian opera bufa. Whether Messrs Stephenson ana
Collier have bettered matters much by compoundi,.
the word comedy opera" shall not stop 10 discus.
Perhaps they have thereby escaped Of the q,
criticism, and the latter should be permitted q,
weigh heavily Oh production which, after all 4.
designed only to make evening pleasantly their
objects and the degree in which they have than,
should not be scrutnSed too closely. Let suce tina,
they have not outraged musical terrninoogy and hav
provided a pleasantly diverting Entertainment in
which. though the lines OF a plot are only ysba
through glass darky, there clever Ana
sIngable verses pretty rustic scenes and soma
tuneful music To dispose Of the latter element at opos
1t may be said that is far from pretenous in stys
occasional happy infusion Of graceful dance rhyhms
which inpart just about enough enable il "a
the stagnaton which the chief defect In hs
book. drinking song In the first act, and hInas
song in the finale OF the second perhaps the mos
vivacous and pleasing members and they have the
additional merit of bringing with them nyigorstn,
Whit OF English air which appropriate TO the theatre
II would he worth good deal &c Dorothy A" II n,
much this modest praise could be honestly spoken OF
the book. Mr. stephenson ~ Ingenious enough In in
venting rhymes and metres IN the following specimen
the best by odds In the book VIII show IL verss
character OF the piece played with grotesqnc gravity by
Harry Paulton who had several English friends ths
audience 10 greet him. among them Mr. Irving, Mr.
Bran ,tokcr and Miss Terry:
Attorneys bills do not decrease
In size by c0RtemplatlOn;
And arguing does not release
debtors obligation.
You surely wsuId not let SEQ
Object to pay little fee
or cavil at addition;
six and eghtpence less or moro
You really must not grudge, sir;
And two and two make more lnaa four
When ordered by judge, sir.
This IL clever and II the man who wrote II hal ,oy
strucuve ability he woud Ne good builder OF ia. verbal
scattods OF musical dis. But here Mr. sicpLensos
vivacious but II is little else than 81 en-
trance scenes Of the characters When he cones to
such property, he fails II at most Gstr,,singly
the same last that served Mr. Paulton Erminnic"
that the libretlst b0pelessy at ami when ir
Pauton essayed to play the pilot he only made matters
The act will require vigorous pruning. In
the expec that thereby il will be brought wtbn
the bounds OF reason such wOnld DC a hopeless en-
deavorb) hut merely TO enable the patience OF the
audience Ia endure 10 the end OF the play
We not attempt TO tell what is the plot of tho
operetta that would involve description OF lot OF
nconsequentiaI incidents which have but one purpose
TO enable the principals and choristers TO sing at
Intervals and Mr.. PanOu to De funny The brief init
NATION heretofore published in this Journal must serve
Mr.. Dun had put the comedy In sumptnous atr and
its representation he has called in the all OF several
talented people Miss Russell stands IN tue front
by virtue of her OF person and musical gifts and
size IA ably seconded by Miss Agnes stone, whose
tratO is rich in quality and manag ed wh skill ugene
Oudin AMI John Brand are equally acceptable their
well-worn dramatic characters. OF Mr. Pault0n. who
appeared tOI tho first time actor IN New York,
has been made and task which calls fpr lite
seriousness the part OF the reviewer Is ended when
the record Is completed with the names OF William
Hamilton I. BOudinOt j. T.. Nash, Rose Leighton and
Miss NJ IIalton who took pare in smaller roles gnor
NOvellIs conducted the music.